I think the conclusion I draw is that organising protests is a fool’s game. Oh yes, it's certainly not something I'd take responsibility for. But sometimes it's necessary. There's been a tendency over the last few decades for politicians to try to insulate themselves from the people they're supposed to represent. If they won't listen, then sometimes you have to shout a bit louder. It doesn't always work, but it's still a sign of a healthy modern democratic society that it happens from time to time.
there were plenty of otherwise reasonable-sounding students who appeared to think that the illegal behaviour was entirely justified. There's quite a difference between saying that you approve of Tory HQ having its windows smashed, and actually doing it. I'm opposed to almost all violence, and even I can't muster very much sympathy in this case.
And as another friend of mine has remarked, the damage done is several orders of magnitude less than that being perpetrated on the UK education system. A few broken windows, overturned chairs and a bit of burning cardboard is relatively easily sorted out; an already chronically underfunded university sector being pared even closer to the bone (or in some cases the marrow) could take decades to fully recover.
no subject
Oh yes, it's certainly not something I'd take responsibility for. But sometimes it's necessary. There's been a tendency over the last few decades for politicians to try to insulate themselves from the people they're supposed to represent. If they won't listen, then sometimes you have to shout a bit louder. It doesn't always work, but it's still a sign of a healthy modern democratic society that it happens from time to time.
there were plenty of otherwise reasonable-sounding students who appeared to think that the illegal behaviour was entirely justified.
There's quite a difference between saying that you approve of Tory HQ having its windows smashed, and actually doing it. I'm opposed to almost all violence, and even I can't muster very much sympathy in this case.
And as another friend of mine has remarked, the damage done is several orders of magnitude less than that being perpetrated on the UK education system. A few broken windows, overturned chairs and a bit of burning cardboard is relatively easily sorted out; an already chronically underfunded university sector being pared even closer to the bone (or in some cases the marrow) could take decades to fully recover.